Saturday, June 29, 2013

This years wooden surfboard day will be held on Sunday the 4th of August in the park across the road from Currumbin Alley Beach. A great outlook back up to the Gold Coast skyline and beaches. So come early and have a morning surf at the point and then settle in for the day at the park. Bring your boards , alaia's , hand planes, body boards, surfies or what ever you have been building and having fun on as long as it is made of wood. Just lay them out in the park and find a spot to have a picnic lunch and meet other like minded wooden board builders , craftsmen and enthusiasts. There will be people from all walks of life and just stoked to be riding something they have designed and built themselves. Plenty of people who have lots of questions just like you and stories to share. Check out what others are up to and swap boards and go for a surf.

Around lunchtime Tom Wegener , myself and a couple of others will get together and discuss boards and answer questions and share our experiences. There is always plenty to learn and share and this is a great forum to become more informed.

I look forward to seeing your projects and catching up. If you have any questions you can get hold of me at - grantnewby@bigpond.com

Friday, June 28, 2013

This is Roy Meisels in front of his shop in the 60's in Byron Bay. He has built surfboards all his life and loves a wave. But a few problems with his back and what not has kept him off his board of late. So his good mate Keith " Tiki " Nevelee sorted things for him. "He said he was keen to body surf, so I made this as a surprise, it was finished off with an old legrope velcro and Roys report was he loved it, so it was good to get him passionate again ......5 more weeks and I'm retiring and on the pension, so will be mucho buisier with surfing toys...."

It is nice to have mates who care. Thanks Tiki for sharing your story and with more time to build things I hope we see some more. Or catch up in August

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Torsten Kofler (a.k.a. Wood Buddha) has been hard at work, finishing
off his Big Guy Nugget and getting it ready for the Wooden Board Day in August.

The board is a hollow wooden incarnation based on a Geoff
McCoy single fin design.

He’s been sneaking out of the house and down to his workshop
at night to finish off his latest creation, which he’s named Fat Rick.

“I usually wait till Mrs. Wood Buddha settles down on the
couch at night with a hot chocolate and a Tim-Tam to watch her weekly episodes
of Offspring and Revenge. While she’s distracted I sneak out the back to do a
bit of work on the board” he explained.

The board is constructed using plantation grown paulownia.
It’s a hollow wooden design, with solid laminated rails, internally laminated
with 4oz fibreglass and epoxy resin. The deck and hull are finished with epoxy
resin. The board also sports an 8 inch camphor laurel fin.

Gluing and clamping the ribs, stringer and first inside rail
band.

Soaking up some rays outside the ashram waiting for the deck
skin to go on.

Gluing the deck and hull skins to the frame in the
vacuum bag

Gluing the rail bands to the sides.

Shaping the rails

A router and jig for the 10" fin box. A slightly
nervous moment. Lots of meditation and measuring twice before I cut this slot.

Finished with two coats of epoxy (no glass) and a camphor
laurel fin.

Outside the ashram enjoying the sunshine and waiting for a
test ride.

Torsten has posted some great pics and lots of detail of his build on his blog. He has also shared his experiences and fixes for things as he has gone along. Where he got his vacuum bag from and how he went about it. All the details and pictures on the full board build are available
at:

Sunday, June 23, 2013

This is Jan Dressler doing bit of bagging in his living room in Berlin. He has made a few large SUP's in his 4th floor apartment and then had to get them out over the balcony with the help on a few mates.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Well I hope you are all busy getting your projects finished in time for this years Wooden Board Day to be held at Currumbin Alley here on the Gold Coast Sunday 4th of August. Now is a great time to work away in the shed while it is cool and get some new toys planned for summer. No sweat dripping on the wood and your beer stays cool much longer. So plenty of time to get sorted. As in other years it will be a very informal gathering in the park. So arrive in time for an early surf, lay your boards, hand planes, alaias and other craft in the park and kick back with a picnic lunch or BBQ. There will be plenty of interesting people and projects to talk about with others. Around lunchtime Tom Wegener and I will pull up some chairs with a couple of others to have a chat and share our experiences. We welcome everyone to share and participate in this open discussion. This is how we can learn from each other and not have to do the hard yards alone.
I look forward to checking out what everyone has been up to. If you have a project you would like to share , please send some pics and words for me to post up. If you have any questions flick me an email : grantnewby@bigpond.com

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Return to Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center"We’re doing it again. This summer, July 31- August 3 to be exact, we’re returning to the famed Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center in San Clemente, California for another 4-day class extravaganza. Time is of the essence, we need to fill this class quickly so we have time to book our plane tickets and prep all the wood. If you’re interested, sign up soon. We’re planning to spend some time while we’re out there tricking out our new mobile classroom and partnering up with some friends to offer some in-water demos. See you on the road."

More Classes

"We have lots of workshops, clinics and classes in the works for this summer. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our friend Jon Wegener back for a fall paipo and alaia class. We’re also planning a series of Thursday night handplane workshops - come by the shop, enjoy some surf flicks and food and shape yourself a handplane. Want more? How about surfboard function and hydrodynamics discussion with Cape Cod craftsman Sean Vecchione of Vec Surfboards."

The new Fantail - Pig
"We’ve been talking about this design for a long time, and we’re excited that it’s finally up on our site. The Fantail is a classic Pig shape, similar to what Dale Velzy was shaping back in the heyday of hotdogging. It’s available as a custom board in 9’2” and 9’9”. But for those of you that just have to build it yourself, sign up for a Fantasy Camp and we’ll help lead you through the process of building your dream board."

Handplane Blanks, A Real Hands-On Experience
"We’ve been shaping handplanes for years and we love the process. It gives you the opportunity to work with a number of fun hand tools plus it’s a quick, rewarding process that gets you out enjoying the waves in a new way in no time. We also love offering you the opportunity to get hands-on, so we’re now offering our handplanes as DIY kits. The kit comes with a wood blank, pre- drilled for our special handstrap attachment, and includes a quick shaping manual, some natural polyurethane that we use in-house, even the strap itself. So take an afternoon and shape something, you’ll be glad you did."

Mike and the boys at Grain in York , Maine, USA do a great job and if you want to find out more or the range of board kits and events, check them out here : www.grainsurfboards.com

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The blank is then cut on an AKU machine that foils the board out top and bottom , minus the thickness of the Paulownia to be laminated to the top and bottom.

A 3mm Paulownia strip has been laminated to the rail edge of the blank.The blank is rested on a leveled table and shaped blocks located to hold the designed rocker during the vacuum bagging process. The board goes in the bag and it all rests on the blocks. Using the natural rocker in the board blank now all that is needed is gentle pressure to be applied to the middle of the board as the air is removed from the bag.

A 6mm thick Paulownia panel cut 5mm oversize for the deck and a 4mm one for the bottom are taped in place before sliding into the bag.All the air sucked out by the pump and this clamps the timber down all over with equal pressure to all surfaces. This enables you to replicate all your designed concaves and contours.

The Polyurethane glue needs 2 hours to go off in the bag. The bag is made from .75mm PVC , the same material you see in board windows and covers. It is tough , no stretch and the glue won't stick to it.So you can use it multiple times.

Out of the bag and ready to be trimmed up

This board will get 20mm of rails laminated on in 4 x 5mm thick full length strips.

All the rocker is retained and the foam is now encapsulated in wood.

Here it is finished. The only resin on the board is to secure the finbox into the board.

It is finished with multiple coats of lanolin to nurish the timber and add to waterproofing.

The lanolin has the added advantage , that when it hits salt water that it becomes very stick and you will not need to use wax.

Old school leg rope hole through the fin box and out through the deck , simple neat and tidy. You and see the 4 x 5mm Paulownia laminated strips at the tail in a basket weave pattern.

Simple clear wood finish

5mm of concave in the nose with a very rolled bottom in the tail , no problem.

Friday, June 14, 2013

If you re interested in building a wooden surfboard and you live in the UK , you should get hold of Paul from ARBO wooden surfboards.

"The deal is as usual:price for the workshop is 300€+45€/ft board length.that includes tuition and all the materials to complete the shape of your choice (internal plywood structure, paulownia/cedar deck and bottom skins, bead and cove rail strips, glues,...) and the tools you need to work. if you have tools (handplanes, saws etc.) bring them with you too!"

"Have a look here for well tested shapes that can be built and pictures from past workshops.I can also design a custom board to your requirements or replicate an existing design.

After three intense days the board is constructed and will only need some detail shaping and final sanding before it can get glassed.finboxes/-plugs, leashplugs and venting screws are not included but can be bought off me on the workshop.I can also supply you with custom boardbags, made by salty buds to fit your board. to laminate the board within the three days is impossible. If time allows though, I will laminate a little demoboard on the weekend to prepare you for the task of glassing your board at home. It actually isn't that hard!You can get a few meters of fibreglass from me and I can give you a voucher that will get you a good deal on entropy resin, a (sustainable) epoxy resin that I use for my boards.Those interested can visit me with their boards in Bristol and learn how to laminate using epoxy. dates for these glassing sessions have to be arranged individually.

If you are interested in owning a handcrafted wooden surfboard but don't want to build it yourself you can get a custom one built by me. I will build only one ordered board per month this year. get in touch to discuss a design.If you don't make it to the cologne session you have another chance in august or september in berlin. the next UK workshop will most likely be in Bristol again. exact dates will be announced on my blog or on facebook.

Get in touch if you have got any questions or if you want to sign up. i'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.Feel free to forward this to people who you think could be interested as well. spread the word but keep it underground!"

Thursday, June 13, 2013

"We're planing the workshop as a shaping course, instead of a "boat building" course. Of course, we'll be shaping Flama's hollow wooden blanks, which don't need to be fiberglassed. Over a week period we will be talking and learning about surfboard hydrodynamics from the hand of experienced shapers. Furthermore, the Flama Workshop has been planned in a relaxed way, so participants will be able to go surfing every day and go back to the workshop with renewed energy.

2016 Poster

This years Wooden Surfboard Day will be Sunday 7th August

2015 Poster

Poster for 2012

Poster for 2011

Poster for 2010

Poster for 2009

The joy of wood and water...

Wooden surfboards have been around for a long time and it was probably on a simple piece of wood that man first enjoyed surfing waves somewhere in the world. It may have only been a crude piece of driftwood found on the beach that served as a way of catching that first wave, but the joy and connection felt with the sea then is no different from what we feel today.As someone who has crafted a surfboard from wood, taken it out and caught a wave on it, I can tell you that the first time you paddle in and get to your feet, is truly a timeless feeling of joy and achievement. I hope that in assembling this list of talented people will inspire you to have a go at building your dream board and also experience that feeling for yourself.